Occupy Birmingham

You can easily miss it, but there is an on-going Occupy Birmingham demonstration going on in Downtown Birmingham.

Frankly like so many things that go on in the “Magic City” that also take place elsewhere, i.e. film festivals, music festivals, tries at major league sports, marathons etc… it is at best an anemic effort.

The only thing we really have other cities beat is in having the nation’s largest Veteran’s Day Parade. That’s where I took the photo here.

I sympathize with the Occupiers, heck as someone who works in education I MORE than sympathize with the movement.

But personally, as a movement, I don’t really give it much hope.

My reason for this is while watching news about it a comparison about it came to me.

Back in the 1890s after having been defeated again and again and moved to smaller and drearier Reservations some Native Americans, looking for something like hope, started to participate in the Ghost Dance.

The Ghost Dance was a way to dance into a trance where it was said those taking part could talk to departed relatives and ancestors, and if enough took part the white men would leave and the buffalo would return.  It at least gave those who danced something to believe in other than despair.  And all it was really was dancing, who could deny them at least that?

Never underestimate ignorance, fear and hate, the message from those in charges of the Reservations was “Indians continue to dance, send more soldiers.”

They did, and with the biggest and newest guns available, the scary dancing was stopped.

You get my metaphor?